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Favorite Lures for Smallies

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What kind of water?Being a creek fisher I like X-raps,topwaters(tiny torpedo,buzzbait)Senko- type weightless or wacky.

Try bubblegum and pearl colored flukes, rigged weightless on a 4/0 or 5/0 EWG.  They are fun to fish.  They should be ripped and twitched, like a hard jerk bait.

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  • Super User

1. Crankbaits (Fat Raps, Shad Raps, Bomber Model As, Rebel Wee Craws, Bomber Fat As, Storm Wiggle Warts)

2. 2.5" to 3.5" Tubes with a jighead (white pearl, motor oil, green pumpkin, pretty much any baitfish and crawdad color)

3. Grubs in the same colors as above from 3" to 5". Single, double, and skirted styles.

4. Hard Jerkbaits - (Xraps, pointers, husky jerks)

5. Senkos (similiar colors as tubes/grubs)

6. Soft Jerks like Flukes, sluggos, bass assassins (same general plastic colors)

7. Poppers (skitterpops, pop r's, poppin' image jr.)

8. Spinnerbaits from 1/4 to 1/2 ounce

9. Buzzbaits

10. Prop Baits

11. Zara Spooks and other walking baits

Don't overlook inline spinners either.

1. Crankbaits (Fat Raps, Shad Raps, Bomber Model As, Rebel Wee Craws, Bomber Fat As, Storm Wiggle Warts)

2. 2.5" to 3.5" Tubes with a jighead (white pearl, motor oil, green pumpkin, pretty much any baitfish and crawdad color)

3. Grubs in the same colors as above from 3" to 5". Single, double, and skirted styles.

4. Hard Jerkbaits - (Xraps, pointers, husky jerks)

5. Senkos (similiar colors as tubes/grubs)

6. Soft Jerks like Flukes, sluggos, bass assassins (same general plastic colors)

7. Poppers (skitterpops, pop r's, poppin' image jr.)

8. Spinnerbaits from 1/4 to 1/2 ounce

9. Buzzbaits

10. Prop Baits

11. Zara Spooks and other walking baits

Don't overlook inline spinners either.

x2

Do NOT use a Fat Ika...............

Favorite = topwater. Prop baits especially.

Most success = 3/8 oz spinnerbait

saw a video on youtube where a guy caught a smallie on a bluefox inline spinner, went out and bought one, threw it out and within a couple casts, BAAM!  i was sold!

  • Super User
Do NOT use a Fat Ika...............

Yeah they stink ;D.

  • Super User

Most of my success comes on:

1-Crankbaits

2-Spinnerbaits

3-Lipless Crankbaits

4-Jerkbaits

Falcon

One of my best experiences fishing for smallies was on a camping trip with family up in Wisconsin on Lake Michigan. I really wasn't expecting to have any luck since I was on a pier with a bunch of other people who didn't seem to be catching anything. I was just slowly jigging a Texas-rigged green-flecked tube. Caught two nice ones, one of which was especially nice. Actually, if I can figure out how to scan this pic I'd like to post it and get your estimations on weight. I didn't have a scale then and I'm not the best at eyeballing it.

I guess I would say that has been my favorite since then  :)

  • Super User

Depends on where they are...time of year.

Right now, suspending jerkbaits, spoons, traps, buddies.

My favorite would have to be a Rebel Pop-r in the spring of the year in the shallows. 

My go to would be a 1/4 oz jig with a curly tail grub, bouncing off the bottom and hitting the current breaks.

Mike

most of mine have been taken using inline spinners or twisters. I plan to try other lures this spring/summer.

Starting using shakey heads last year...I must say I'm hooked

Right now and for the next month or so suspending jerkbaits like pointers and staysee's with long pauses and violent rips and Traps dead sticked and ripped off the bottom.

Rest of the year...Tubes, dropshot roboworms, tubes, buzzbaits, tubes, football head jigs, tubes

caught a smallmouth with a nightcrawler and powerbait once on accident trout fishing.  My friend casted to the same spot and also caught a smallmouth on the same bait. 

I would have to go with curly tailed grubs on a jig head.

Jig it, Swim it, Drop shot it...... There is no bad way to fish it! Just remember to bring a few different colores. I always have a dark, bright & a shad color in the boat. 

Suspending jerkbaits for early season- then grubs, small worms, jigs-topwater for summer and then back to jerkbaits in the fall

Not being a wise guy or anything but my favorite lure is the one that they are hitting on at the time!

Ok, if I had my way it would be either a jig or any topwater! :)

Most of mine have come on either zoom super flukes, or dropshotting roboworms. I have also had success using in-line spinners and shakee heads.

  • Super User

If I'm fishing rivers this time of the year, then the hard jerks rule, along with that awful sucky lure, the Fat Ika. In lakes I'll start to probe the deeper water, in about 2 weeks, with the drop shot.

In'Fisherman re-highlighted the use of in-line spinners this month. I'm going to dig around in my attic for some Mepps to try again.  ;)

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